“Lennox… son… wake up.”

“And your great-grandfather Nathan says hi,” she added with a smile.

The thoughts kept racing in my head, twisting and turning, refusing to settle. Before I knew it, the dark sky outside had begun to lighten. Dawn was here, but the weight in my chest hadn’t lifted.

Instead of answering, he looked away again. His jaw clenched, and his hands balled into fists at his side.

He nodded slowly. “First time since her funeral.”

He turned slowly and met my eyes. “My grandmother. Hailee.”

She reached up and brushed my cheek with her thumb. “It was time for me to go, Nox. I lived a full and fulfilled life. And where I am now… I’m at peace.”

I frowned. “Who?”

I frowned deeply. “What is it? Tell me now.”

Lennox’s POV

I felt a gentle tap on my arm, and my eyes slowly fluttered open. At first, everything was blurry, but then I saw her—an old woman sitting at the edge of my bed. I blinked hard, confused… until her face became clearer. My heart jumped.

I let out a slow breath and nodded. Somehow, her touch still felt real.

I paced my room slowly, running a hand through my hair. My great-grandmother hadn’t appeared to me since her funeral. I was just a boy then—mourning her in silence, hugging her scarf like it could bring her back. But now… she came with a message. A warning.

“I missed you,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “If you were still here, maybe… maybe things wouldn’t be so hard.”

My heart dropped. “You saw her too?” I asked, shocked.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. This is a dream. Just a dream.”

I frowned, looked back at Olivia’s grave, and swallowed hard. Something was coming, and none of us were ready for it.

Still restless, I left my room and walked outside. The morning was cold, quiet… but not silent. People were already moving around the courtyard, setting up, arranging white flowers, covering tables with white cloth—funeral preparations.

“I miss him too,” I whispered.

He looked as if he wanted to say more, but whatever it was—he wasn’t ready, or maybe… too afraid.

He didn’t look at me. “I… saw her last night.”

Her eyes softened. “Because you’re about to discover something,” she said gently. “Something important.”

Olivia Parker.

I stood between them, swallowing the lump in my throat. Then… I noticed something else: a fresh grave, already dug, the soil piled beside it. The name on the temporary wooden plaque made my knees weak.

That answer made my chest tighten, but deep down, I knew I couldn’t force more from her. So instead, I looked at her… really looked at her, and the emotion hit me all at once.

At the mention of him, I broke. A tear slipped down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away. I hadn’t heard his name in years. I could almost see his face again—his strong voice, his stories by the fire. They both used to mean everything to me.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice tense.

She smiled faintly and shook her head. “You’ll find out tomorrow night, when the time is right.”

“What do you mean you can’t say?” I asked, confused and frustrated.

“But don’t be afraid,” she added softly. “It was meant to be. It’s part of your destiny. Everything you’re going to find out was always written for you.”

She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Be strong, Lennox. Take care of your brothers. And whatever happens tomorrow… don’t let it destroy your—”

And then I heard footsteps behind me. I turned. It was my father. Of all people, I didn’t expect him here, not at the graves. He stopped beside me, looking down at the tombstones with a faraway look in his eyes.

Her grave. Great-grandmother Hailee. Her stone was elegant and simple, just like she had been. Right beside her was great-grandfather Nathan’s.

My chest ached. I didn’t stop to respond to the greetings. My feet just moved on their own… carrying me to the only place I could think of: the family cemetery.

I took a sharp breath and looked away. I wanted to fall to my knees. I wanted to scream, but I didn’t. I stood still… biting down every emotion… every ounce of grief and confusion.

A warm smile spread across her face, that same smile I had always remembered.

What did she mean? Something that would shake us? Something that would break us? Why tomorrow night?

And I woke up.

“I know,” she said gently. “But we’re always with you. Watching, guiding.”

“No… wait,” I called out, reaching for her. But she was already gone.

He shook his head. “It’s personal.”

I swallowed hard, dreading her next words.

Almost like she read my mind, she reached out and gently patted my hand.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

My throat tightened. “What did she say to you?”

It wasn’t far—just behind the eastern woods, built long ago for royal blood. I walked past rows of familiar names: uncles, aunts, Alphas, Betas, warriors. And then I found it.

So why was I seeing her now?

My room was dark and quiet, but my heart felt heavy. I sat up, breathing hard. I looked at the time—3 a.m. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I pushed myself out of bed. My chest felt tight. I couldn’t sit still, not after that dream, not after seeing her.

I closed my eyes, trying not to cry.

I blinked again, and just like that… she began to fade.

“Yes, it’s me, Nox,” she said, using the nickname she always called me when I was little.

I wanted to smile back, but something didn’t feel right. She had died. I was only ten years old when we buried her. The last time I saw her was after her funeral—when I cried myself to sleep holding her scarf.

“I… I can’t say,” he muttered.

She looked down for a moment, then back at me. “Something is coming, Lennox, something that will shake you and your brothers. It will hurt… it will break you for a while.”

“But… why are you here?” I asked quietly. “Why now?”

“Great-grandmother?” I whispered, staring at her in shock.